Till The Song Goes Off
by McMahonHelmsleyEraFan
Summary: Divorced for 2 years already, fate intervenes, causing Hunter and Stephanie to attend Vince McMahon's annual birthday bash solo. When the music begins, they're the only two without a dance partner. A ONE-SHOT


Well...this isn't an update exactly. But whatever at least it's something, right? LOL. Not sure why but this song kept bugging me over the last couple days so I decided to model another "How HHH/SMH got back together after their divorce" fic around it. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Song is "Single" by Ne-Yo.

* * *

August 20, 2005

**Yeah... Ahhh.. Hey hey hey**

Fuck, he was _so _incredibly bored. World Wrestling Entertainment was exactly what the name suggested – it was an entertaining place to work. There was never a dull moment because there were so many damn characters running all over the place. There was literally every personality type and every possible type of look in this one company. When you put them all together and then added a fucking camera, it was total chaos. Sometimes he seriously wondered how in the hell they managed to not get booted off of the channels they occupied.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley let out a slight snort, peering into the glass as the amber colored liquid swirled around. Whiskey. That's the random drink that had been all but shoved into his hand by none other than Ric Flair. What had his advice been when he'd handed it to him?

_Oh yeah, _Hunter thought. "_Sonny boy you gotta have fun. Whiskey will do the trick, whoooooo!" _That's what the older man had exclaimed before staggering his way to some other area of the humongous mansion.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time…except for him. He was standing by the grand staircase in the main foyer, brooding over the drink he didn't want.

Take Santino Marella for instance. He was over there doing…whatever the hell it was Santino Marella did. He had a huge grin plastered on his face as he moved to the music. Hunter was certainly no expert at dancing…but he just wasn't sure if the beat Santino was dancing to was the same of the song that was actually playing.

Finally resigning himself to at least try to loosen up, Hunter brought the glass to his lips and took a timid sip. He frowned, cringed and childishly stuck his tongue out to show his distaste for the liquid. "Gah!" He exclaimed with a shudder.

**Everybody in the club right now, tell the dj to turn it loud  
Baby girl it's your favorite song  
This for girls who got their own car, this for girls who got their own crib  
This for girls who got their own shhhhh... (1, 2, 3, 4)**

Stephanie McMahon looked around as the partygoers began to get into pairs. She was expecting that someone – hell _anyone _would just drag her into a slow dance. But as the combination of staff, family and friends began to form duos she found that she somehow scooted farther and farther away from the dance floor. She felt that she just looked so pathetic, standing alone and looking around hopefully.

And this was her house! Well, it was her family's house…which was kind of the same thing, given that she'd spent several years of her life here.

And it was her family's party, damn it! It was thrown annually and literally everyone was invited. Whether you were a friend, foe, rival, employee or some clever combination of one or more, you were invited. Because it was Vince McMahon's birthday, after all. It was more important than Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve combined. Her Dad barely batted an eyelash when those holidays came rolling around. If he and a relative were having a spat, they still weren't invited to dinner. But for his birthday, everyone he'd ever met was welcomed.

So it just wouldn't have been proper for her to sit this party out. Her presence was expected and practically required since she and Vince were on good terms again, after months of pretending that the other didn't exist.

Hell, even Stone Cold Steve Austin was here, slow dancing with Debra. Stephanie guessed that this was his best attempt at slow dancing anyway. He was kind of just leaning into his wife but his arms weren't wrapped around her because of the beer cans he held in each hand. Debra's eyes were shut and she looked completely content as she swayed to the music. That told Stephanie that she was either too drunk or too used to this to care.

Everyone had someone. Even people who didn't arrive together or particularly like one another ended up gravitating towards each other for the song that no one wanted to be solo for. She felt she was in one of those apocalyptic movies where the whole world had been turned into zombies. Zombies that grouped up for the sole purpose of…eating her, she guessed. That was an exaggeration, but she did feel like she was sticking out like a sore thumb, even if she was off in the corner helping herself to the rum punch as if her very life depended on it.

_Screw this, _she decided. It was only a matter of time before she caught someone's eye…and then that someone whispered to their companion that the Billion Dollar Princess couldn't get a single damn person to offer to dance with her. Shortly after, word would spread like a damn wildfire in the forest. And she'd be utterly embarrassed.

With her eyes narrowed conspiratorially, she downed her cup of punch and disappeared around the corner before anyone could notice her. With a sad sigh, she crept through the house before finally reaching the staircase. She ascended it with purpose, but was making sure that her footsteps weren't loud enough to draw attention from the few couples that danced and lingered in the living and dining rooms.

**If you came here by yourself tonight,  
Cause' he wouldn't pick up the phone,  
He was supposed to bring you here tonight,  
Couldn't find him so you came alone.  
It don't matter cause' you're here now, and the music you're enjoying  
So for the next couple minutes  
Baby I'mma be your boyfriend.**

Hunter's eyes widened in partial shock. How out of it was Stephanie, anyway? Granted, she came to the staircase from the opposite direction. But still. Even though they were divorced and had been for two years, he did get some kind of strange, sixth sense when she was nearby. Almost as if he had Stephanie-radar. Now he realized why he felt so off tonight. The damn radar had been buzzing softly and annoyingly and he hadn't been able to figure out why since Stephanie had been nowhere in sight. And given the way things had gone the last time she and her father had been at an event together, he wasn't banking on her showing up to Vince's annual spectacle.

But under the flashing LED strobe lights, he'd still seen her pass by and head up the stairs. He'd recognize the train of her chestnut hair and those shapely legs of hers anywhere. But where the hell was she going? The party was downstairs. Furthermore, the woman just loved this kind of music. He'd lost count of the number of times she tried to sucker him in with those pale blue eyes and pouting lips of hers, as she began her pitch for why he should dance with her. The most he did was compromise. He'd hold her and sort of allow her to sway him to the music. But his feet would stay put.

When his hand suddenly flopped at his side, he blinked hard, in complete confusion. He glanced around momentarily. Christ, he hadn't even realized he'd gone up the stairs himself, holding the railing, to boot. To say that curiosity was leading him was quite an understatement.

He had two choices here. He could head down to Stephanie's old room – that just had to be where she'd gone – and see what was up with her. That would either open up a can of worms that he'd never be able to close properly again…or she'd tell him to mind his own fucking business. He'd tell her to go to hell and take her bitch attitude with her. That'd be just like old times and there'd be no harm done.

Of course there was the easy option: quell his curiosity, pretend he hadn't seen her, go back downstairs and people watch, while inwardly laughing, yet somehow longing to hang himself.

Peering down onto the dance floor, he cringed again. Goldust's idea of dancing was doing his strange in-ring gyrations, whispering his own name and generally moving around in a very lewd and creepy way. The fact that he was doing all of this to none other than the Boogeyman made Hunter practically want to gouge his eyes out. No matter what happened with his ex-wife, it couldn't possibly be as bad as watching those two weirdo's feel each other up. For courage, Hunter poured the remaining amount of whiskey down his throat, wincing yet again as it burned on the way down. He sat the glass down on the banister, licked his lips and rubbed his palms against his jeans before heading down the hallway.

**Pretty mama if you're single (hey), single,  
You don't got to be alone tonight  
So while the DJ play that single (hey), single  
Just pretend that I'm your man tonight**

Stephanie opened the patio door, stepping out into the balmy, yet breezy night air. She sighed, leaning her arms against the railing as she looked out at the people mingling and dancing in the pool area.

"Normally you'd be dancing to shit like this," came a familiar voice from behind her.

Stephanie's eyebrows drew together in concentration for just a moment before she pushed herself to stand upright. Biting down on her lip, she turned around and came face-to-face with her ex-husband.

The first thing she noticed was that aside from the pirate-looking moustache, he didn't look much different than the last time she'd seen him in person. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad, given the physical attraction she'd always had for him. She gaped at him silently, not realizing she'd yet to say a word, until he shuffled his foot anxiously.

She cleared her throat and shrugged. "Not really in the mood."

Hunter nodded and took a few, slow steps until he was out on the balcony with her. He leaned his back against the railing casually as he appraised her. Was it just him or did she actually get more beautiful as time went on? What the hell, wasn't that the opposite of the way things usually went? "How come you're not out enjoying the festivities?"

"Ever since I can remember I've been made to attend these things. Every year I'd be practically babysitting my Dad, trying to keep his drunk ass from falling in the pool." A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "This year I think I'll let him make a total fool of himself. Kind of like my payback for all the shit he pulled when I was GM."

Hunter grinned in response. "Sounds like a solid plan; can't wait to see that. There's a lot of weird shit happening here tonight."

"God, I know!" She laughed. "I think I saw Perry Saturn dancing with Mr. Socko. He'd placed it on top of whatever was left of Moppy."

Hunter chuckled in amusement. "Oh that's nothing! I saw Goldust and Boogeyman grinding it out just a few seconds ago."

"Eww!" Stephanie exclaimed with her nose scrunched up. "Austin was sort of dancing with Debra. I think he was just trying to figure out how to drink his two cans of beer without pissing her off, though."

"Eh, that's not too unusual for him. But Stephanie McMahon being in her room by herself instead of dancing and mingling? That's damn unusual."

**See you don't got to be alone, I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, girl I'll be your boyfriend**

Stephanie sighed and Hunter frowned as he watched the lightheartedness practically drain right out of her instantly. "I'm a little bummed."

"Why's that?"

"My boyfriend would rather sit at my apartment watching TV, than to suffer through this party for me. We ended up in this huge fight about it, actually."

"That sucks," Hunter said simply. God help him, but a small piece of his heart ached at hearing that she was taken…not only that, but she actually cared that said boyfriend wouldn't come to the party.

_Of course she's taken…she's…her! _Hunter thought. When he was married to her, he often failed to appreciate just how amazing she could be. Together, they navigated their relationship as if they were running a three-legged race, blindfolded and through a maze. They crashed into a lot of shit and often tripped and fell over themselves and each other. Had he had the foresight to realize just how miserable his personal life was going to be without her, he'd have tried harder.

**See you don't got to be alone, baby I'll be your boyfriend  
Ooo be your boyfriend till the song goes off**

**See you don't got to be alone, I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, girl I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, baby I'll be your boyfriend  
Ooo be your boyfriend till the song goes off Oooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo)  
Hey, be your boyfriend till the song goes off**

The right corner of Hunter's mouth lifted in a smile. "Dance with me."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened considerably before she let out a nervous chuckle. "You've got to be kidding me."

Hunter shrugged and held out a hand to her.

"Why are you…I mean…I have boyfriend and – and this is – this is a terrible idea!" She decided, waving an arm in frustration because she had no idea what else to do. Nor did she have any idea why the thought of sharing a dance with her ex-husband inspired so much apprehension and dread.

Hunter glanced all around them quickly. "I don't see any boyfriend around here. How about I stand in for a few minutes? You know…just I don't know…pretend to be your boyfriend during this song," he offered.

"You wouldn't even dance with me when we were married, Hunter," Stephanie pointed out even as she took Hunter's hand and allowed herself to be pulled into his arms.

Hunter's hands immediately rested on her hips. He didn't trust himself to hold her any closer than that. He could already smell the intoxicating scent of her perfume and her favorite shampoo. It was a combination that was distinctly Stephanie. He found himself somewhat mesmerized as her arms wrapped around his neck.

**He don't tell you that you're beautiful (beautiful), let me tell you to the beat**  
**He don't tell you that he love you girl (loves you girl), let me sing it in a harmony**  
**Let my song get you higher (higher), we don't have to come back down (Nooo)**  
**And if ever you should miss me (miss me), just tell the DJ run it back now (ohhh)**

Hunter's brown eyes gazed at her thoughtfully while he mulled over an appropriate response to her comment. "Hmm," he murmured. "There's a lot I wished I'd done when we were married."

Stephanie bit down on her lip and broke their eye contact, looking out towards the pool again. She was not going to respond to that. In her mind, it was perhaps the wisest thing she'd done all night. Coming to this damn party in the first place was a rather terrible idea. She could be at home hanging out with…with.

"Shit, what is my boyfriend's name?" She asked softly.

Against her, Hunter laughed deeply and she couldn't help but smile in return. "You're asking the wrong person. But let me ask you this…do you ever think about me?"

Stephanie smirked at him. "It's kind of hard not to think about you now since we're dancing together."

"You know what I mean. Still such a smart ass," he said playfully.

"Of course."

Hunter's eyes narrowed. "Of course you think about me? Or of course you're still a smart ass?"

"Of course I'm still a smart ass."

Hunter nodded and finally averted his gaze elsewhere.

Stephanie swallowed hard while she tried to gauge his reaction. If she wasn't mistaken, her ex-husband was still kind of…into her, it seemed. Of course, this could be another one of his sick mind games. He wasn't above toying with her emotions for his own entertainment. Breaking each other's hearts is what they were good at, after all. The only other thing the two of them ever got right with any consistency was strictly physical in nature.

**Pretty mama if you're single (hey), single,  
You don't got to be alone tonight  
So while the DJ run this single (hey), single  
Just pretend that I'm your man tonight**

It was some strange force beyond his control that had led Hunter here. Stephanie hadn't been to any live event that he'd been at, in what seemed like forever. It had to be more than sheer luck that this boyfriend of hers had decided to stay home rather than just enjoy her in the dark purple, spaghetti strap dress that stopped just above her knees. It would be a shame if he didn't capitalize on the other man's idiocy and on this moment that might not ever present itself again.

Really, this had been eating at him for a lot longer than he'd been willing to admit. But Stephanie had hurt him deeply, damaged his reputation and his pride when she'd lied to him in front of the whole world. He just hadn't seen forgiving and forgetting as an option. He could guess what her reasoning for her lies had been, but he forced himself not to think about it. He just isolated what all she'd done wrong and used that to propel his anger towards her so that he could leave her. But with each month that went by, her absence became harder and not easier, to deal with. They'd been separated almost just as long as they'd been married. He couldn't take it anymore, damn it. He couldn't take pretending that he felt nothing for her...that he didn't wish they could start all over again. Or something. He didn't care about the specifics, he just wanted her with him.

Abruptly, he turned his gaze back to her. "I'm sorry."

"Huh? Sorry for what?"

Taking his hands from her hips, he stepped back from her and her confused stare. "I can't do this anymore."

Feeling her cheeks redden with a curious mix of embarrassment and anger, she folded her arms across her chest. She hadn't wanted this. Well actually she did, now that she was in the moment. But this outcome hadn't been anywhere in her mind when she came up to her room. All they were doing was sharing a dance - a dance that he'd followed her for. And now he was rejecting her? It made no sense! "Hey you're the one who followed me and asked me to dance. I didn't-"

Hunter cut her off by grabbing her face in both of his hands and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Not knowing what the hell was happening or what exactly she should be doing, Stephanie settled on resting her hands against his wrists as her mouth automatically began to move with his.

**See you don't got to be alone, I'll be your boyfriend**  
**See you don't got to be alone, girl I'll be your boyfriend**  
**See you don't got to be alone, baby I'll be your boyfriend**  
**Ooo be your boyfriend till the song goes off**

Hunter broke their kiss, but pecked her on the lips one last time before releasing her. "I can't pretend that I don't still want you, Stephanie."

"Hunter, I…I don't know what to say."

His index finger skimmed down the dent in her chin before he shrugged casually. "You could say that you want me, too," he smiled.

Stephanie shook her head. "It's not that simple," she said. What in God's name had gotten into the man? For two years he'd hardly said a word to her and now this? Maybe it was the full moon screwing with his head. It was the same thing that was making everyone at this damn party act weird. Hell, it was even making people who were simply _invited _act weird. Her boyfriend wasn't normally a hermit…but tonight of all nights he decided he'd rather be a couch potato.

"Yes it is, Steph. Either you still want me or you don't."

Agitatedly, she raked her hands through her hair and began to pace the balcony. "I have a life, Hunter! A life I had to first separate from yours and then – and then I built myself a new one. Okay? I-I have a boyfriend. He's a good guy. I…" she trailed off and looked completely lost for a moment. "Well...I don't know his name right now for some reason but it'll come back to me!" She declared, wagging her index finger decisively.

To Hunter, Stephanie was completely adorable when she was embarrassed or frustrated. The blush that stained her cheeks or the way she just had to pace, talk with her hands and play with her hair…just a few more things about her that hadn't changed in their time apart. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a smile and his amused brown eyes followed her as she ranted and raved while all but walking a hole into the ground.

**See you don't got to be alone, I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, girl I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, baby I'll be your boyfriend  
Ooo be your boyfriend till the song goes off Oooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo)  
Hey be your boyfriend till the song goes off Oooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo) Ooooo (ooooo)  
Be your boyfriend till the song goes off**

"You can't just – just pop up and-and dance with me. And kiss me –and…" she finally stopped pacing upon seeing the expression on his face. "What?" She finally asked, flailing her arms in distress. "What do you want from me? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Calm down for like two seconds, okay?" He asked.

"I can't," she said with a pout.

Hunter reached out and rubbed her upper arms in comfort. "Breathe," he instructed. "In," he told her and watched while she took a deep breath. "And release," he said soothingly, watching as she exhaled. "Better?" He asked.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Hunter…this was just supposed to be a dance. Just one dance between two people who had no one else to dance with. You don't really want me...tonight is just weird...it's the moon and…nostalgia. And-and-"

"Love?" He offered, raising his eyebrows meaningfully.

Love? When was the last time she'd heard that word leave his lips…especially directed at her? This was so fucking wrong. She had a boyfriend – other than tonight, a _great _boyfriend. If she could only remember his damn name she could confidently tell Hunter just how great the guy was!

Stephanie rolled her lips together while she collected her thoughts. "You're just supposed to be standing in while the song plays."

"Things don't always work out the way we expect them to. Just like we thought we were going to be happy and problem free all the time while we were married. When we're off to ourselves, we're so good together, Steph. Which is exactly why we always said we'd separate business and personal but we didn't do a very good job."

Stephanie nodded in agreement. "No, we really didn't."

"We were both pretty shitty partners at times. But I know where I went wrong and you probably know where you went wrong. We can try again and do things differently."

"I don't know," Stephanie said with a sigh. This was all too much. It's not at all what she'd come here for tonight. Yet and still, here she was. Standing just outside of her old room with her ex-husband while he tried to convince her to give their failed romance another go.

"Steph," he said quietly. He was getting dangerously close to the point of being prepared to just outright plead with her to give him a chance. Hopefully she saw sense and it didn't come to that. "Look at me and tell me that you didn't feel anything tonight – nothing from us dancing or kissing…or from me telling you, right now that I still love you and never should have gone through with the divorce. If you can do that, I promise I'll leave you alone. Hell I'll even buy you and your new beau a congratulatory gift. Of course I'll need to know his name to address it properly," he said cheekily.

"You are _such _an ass!" She said seriously, but couldn't help from cracking a small smile. "Give me a sec," she requested.

By the time Hunter opened his mouth to respond, Stephanie had disappeared into her bedroom. From outside he could hear her fumbling around, muttering and cursing in there. It took every ounce of patience he had not to just go right in and see what she was up to.

He smiled as the beat that had just become familiar to him began to play.

**Yeah... Ahhh.. Hey hey hey**

**Everybody in the club right now, tell the dj to turn it loud  
Baby girl it's your favorite song  
This for girls who got their own car, this for girls who got their own crib  
This for girls who got their own shhhhh... (1, 2, 3, 4)**

Even though the song was still playing, Stephanie had yet to reappear. But the fact that she had chosen this song had to be a good sign, so he didn't feel all that impatient anymore. She was coming back and when she did, it would change both of their lives forever.

**If you came here by yourself tonight,  
Cause' he wouldn't pick up the phone,  
He was supposed to bring you here tonight,  
Couldn't find him so you came alone.  
It don't matter cause' you're here now and the music you're enjoying  
So for the next couple minutes  
Baby I'mma be your boyfriend.**

**Pretty mama if you're single (hey), single,  
You don't got to be alone tonight  
So while the DJ play that single (hey), single  
Just pretend that I'm your man tonight**

Stephanie wandered back onto the balcony with a huge smile on her face. "His name was Tommy," she said.

Hunter laughed as she came to stand in front of him. "Was?" He asked as she placed her arms around his shoulders.

"Yeah, I just broke up with him…via...well, text message."

"Quite the heartbreaker you are," he teased.

**See you don't got to be alone, I'll be your boyfriend  
See you don't got to be alone, girl I'll be your boyfriend**

Stephanie shrugged and felt her knees go weak when Hunter's arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned her head against him and sighed. "By the way? I love you, too," she threw in just to make her admission official.

**See you don't got to be alone, baby I'll be your boyfriend**

Hunter grinned and pulled back to kiss her on the cheek. "That's a bit obvious now, don't you think?"

She poked him in the side. "Stop ruining the moment."

"Hmm," he murmured, hugging her tighter. "How long will this moment last?"

"As long as we want…I popped the album in and put this track on repeat."

**Ooo be your boyfriend till the song goes off**


End file.
